Check out the 1000 Hours Outside Mega Bundle that includes the 2026 Kick-Off Pack here
Get your free 2026 tracker sheets here
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In this conversation, Ginny Yurich sits down with natural playscape designer and author Rusty Keeler to talk about what kids are actually built for: climbing, hiding, building, negotiating, tumbling, experimenting, and testing themselves in the real world. Rusty shares how a trip to Europe shifted his whole philosophy from equipment-based playgrounds to wild, nature-rich spaces full of loose parts, nooks and crannies, mud, water, tools, and possibility—plus why his book Adventures in Risky Play is basically a permission slip for parents who feel like childhood has gotten over-managed.
Rusty reminds us that kids don’t need us to manufacture wonder. They need time, space, and a little more trust. Find Rusty’s work (including his Play Nature Podcast) and explore the book/resources he mentions here.
**Intro song performed by In Paradise and Two Better Friends.
Learn more at www.inparadisemusic.com and stream "Beautiful World" here
Follow Two Better Friends here
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